English Prepositions: When and How to use with Examples

Modified: July 5, 2015

Prepositions are short words (on, in, to) that usually stand in front of nouns (sometimes also in front of gerund verbs). Below is the full list of prepositions with their use and examples in English and Hindi (for Indian users).

In:

Hindi: किसी चीज में / अंदरEnglish: If person/thing is inside other thing (building, car, time frame etc) and he talks about himself or things there then he will use “In”.Example: I am in kitchen, Ram is in car, This festival is in April, in winter, in morning, in 2010 etc.

Into:

Hindi: बाहर से अंदर जाने का कार्यEnglish: If something is going from outside to inside a building or other thing.Example: Ram is going into the house. (Means Ram is outside house and going into the house.)

Inside:

Hindi: ठीक बाहर वाले वयक्ति के लिए अंदर वाली चीज़English: If a person is outside a building or something and he talks about other person/thing that is inside the building then we will use “Inside”.Example: If I am outside house and Ram is in the house then I will say “Ram is inside the house”.

Out of Something (city, office etc):

Hindi: किसी चीज़ के बाहरEnglish:Example:

Out Of:

Hindi: अंदर से बहार जाने का कार्यEnglish:Example:

Outside:

Hindi: अंदर वाले वयक्ति के लिए ठीक बहार वाली चीज़English: If a person is inside a building or something and he talks about other person/thing that is outside the building then he will use “Outside”.Example: If I am inside house and Ram is outside then I will say “Ram is outside the house”.

Next to/ Beside:

Hindi: बगल में, पास मेंEnglish: If something is adjacent or near to other thing we can use Next to or Beside.Example: In the classroom, Ram is sitting next to Sham. or Ram is sitting Beside Sham.

By:

Hindi: लम्बी चौड़ी चीज़ के किनारे पर स्थिर (not moving) कोई चीज़English: When somebody is using some medium for its purposeExample: Ram is going to Agra by car .

Along:

Hindi: लम्बी चौड़ी चीज़ के किनारे कोई कार्यEnglish: this is used to show movement following the lineExample: we walked along the river .

Against:

Hindi: सहारे लदा हुआEnglish: along somethingExample: Ladder is placed against the wall.

In Front Of:

Hindi: सामने (स्थिर)English: facing somethingExample: We parked the car in front of the garden .

She put the flower on the table in front of me .

Ahead Of:

Hindi: सामने (चलता हुआ)English:Example:

Ahead:

Hindi: आगे आने वाला है पर दिखाई नहीं दे रहा हैEnglish:Example:

Before:

Hindi: सभा या दरबार के सामनेEnglish: before is used in reference to two events .Example: The train had left before he reached the station

Hindi: इतने समय से (पक्का समय नहीं हो)English: time interval which is not fixedExample: He works for approximately 9 hours a day

Along with:

Hindi: एक व्यक्ति दो काम अथवा दो व्यक्ति एक काम एक ही समय में करेंEnglish: If there are two subjects for one object or if there are two objects for one subjectsExample: I will complete this whole work along with her .